Victor Ortiz Again Disappoints On The Big Stage, Has Surgery on Broken Jaw

The last time we saw Victor Ortiz in the ring he was picking himself up off the canvas after being (controversially) KO’d by Floyd Mayweather. Unfortunately for Ortiz, he did little to silence critics who believe he may be nothing more than a one fight wonder after quitting Saturday night against Josesito Lopez due to a broken jaw.

While the bout with Lopez was action-packed and Ortiz did land a number of solid punches on Lopez, he still seems to check out of fights when he feels he is at a disadvantage. Ortiz hit Lopez with a blatant punch behind the head at one point in the middle rounds, most likely frustrated from the initial break he suffered to his jaw in the fifth round. Surprisingly Ortiz was ahead on all three scorecards before the stoppage (86-85, 87-84, 88-83) so if he could have held on he had a decent chance of winning the fight.

This also isn’t the first time Ortiz has quit in a fight, having stopped his bout with Marcos Maidana in 2009 after Maidana knocked him down in a dominating sixth round.

Despite Ortiz’s lack of focus, nothing should be taken away from Josesito Lopez’s performance. Lopez came into the bout fully prepared after being named a late replacement for Andre Berto, was able to match Ortiz blow for blow and appeared to shock Ortiz with his punching power. The bigger question is if Ortiz’s heart and mind are able to handle the spotlight, when he has faltered in every big opportunity except his shocking victory over Berto in 2011.

Ortiz underwent surgery to repair his jaw Monday afternoon and is said to want to exercise the rematch clause in the fight contract. Given the action generated in the initial bout between Ortiz and Lopez a rematch is welcomed, but how much longer fans are willing to put up with Ortiz’s disappoints remains to be seen.